Cool, crisp air meeting you at the door and forecasting winter
Unexpected memory from a smell, sound, touch
The presence of one who shifts family dynamics to a kinder, warmer
place  Thanks E
Seeing what you teach learned
My ‘church ladies’
New Zealand white
Laila’s blog
Having the love of wonderfully made food be such a link between so many of us
Finding my dog Rosie after a 3 hour search
St. Anthony (refer to above)
The chance to live somewhere where people say, ‘Good on you’

Have a blessed day everyone
Sandra

Favorite movie: The Sea Inside
Not a good year for me in book choices
Loving having Elliott’s music in the house  don’t know names

Being a grandmother !!!
video ichats
photos of Lucy
photography in general
having such a fabulous extended family (you know who you are!)
getting the NY Times delivered to my doorstep every Sunday morning (Thanks Greg)
an abundance of high quality, locally grown produce
getting comped something at a restaurant
finding money unexpectedly in a pocket, or anywhere for that matter
sharp scissors
my clothesline
the public library
good reads
flowers growing in sidewalk cracks
people who hold the elevator for you as you run to make it
knitting and happy recipients
heirloom tomatoes in the garden
food blogs
amber body oil from Sabon (Thanks Tess)
getting a real letter in my mailbox (Thanks Sandra)
putting on a meal together with Greg
having children that love a good meal AND create many of their own
that Luna is still with us and (barely) kicking
airplanes that bring us to loved ones and far-away places
my neighborhood
That Gordon spells “favorite” with a “u”

Favorites
Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Movie: Sweet Land
Live performance: Detroit Jazz Festival, esp. Regina Carter and
Stanley Jordon
Blog: of course, my children’s, which include
Gordon and Danika’s at machaggis.net
Laila’s at http://riceandbeansandcollardgreens.blogspot.com/
( check them out! ) and smitten kitchen at http://www.smittenkitchen.com
meal: Le Maurice-Paris; for the theatrics of it all
Saying: “Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits. ‘ Robert Louis Stevenson

Danika not giving birth the night I was stuck on the I-90 bridge in a snowstorm

Everything just being better than expected regarding the little one

As always the favourites are more an instant grab-bag than a carefully considered list:

Favourite Movie:

You know, so little is leaping to mind that I’m almost tempted to go with Music and Lyrics, which is just embarrassing, but I did watch it twice willingly so its not really that bad. However after research I’m going to have to say that 300 beat out both the Bourne Ultimatum (easily) and 3:10 to Yuma (just). Music and Lyrics is still almost in the running for popcorn.

I guess I’ll kick things off for 2007! I am grateful for so very many things this year. Of course, having Lucy has changed my life profoundly. But since I can’t include her, or the amazing husband I have (who is also an amazing father), I’ll try to come up with some other things. I am thankful for:

my midwives and doula
a husband who changes more diapers than I do
running, running, running
a daughter who loves nursing, kisses and cuddles
the various coos and gurgling sounds of a newborn
a supportive boss
the great community of friends we have who are local and can do things like babysit and bring us dinner
birth centers
fall fruits- cranberries, apples, pears, pumpkin
food blogs
flickr
having a “fan section” (aka Gordon and Lucy) during a race
grandmothers who knit
being a one-car family
car pool lanes
working part-time
cashew butter
fireplaces
people who hold the door for you when you’re trying to get a stroller in or out
amazon prime
being able to fit into (most of) my pre-pregnancy clothes
wi fi
video chats
not traveling for the holidays
people who give gifts for no reason
good running coaches and a team to run with
sleeping with Lucy
energy efficient appliances
my red corduroys
Cougar Mountain and Discovery Park
spicy chai
short security lines at the airport
my Le Creuset dutch oven

albums: “Cease to Begin”- Band of Horses, “A Singsong and a Scrap”- Chumbawumba
books: “Water for Elephants”
movie: off the top of my head, I liked “Ten Items or Less”
meal: Chez Shea